GaaLee: First Love
by The Moot
Summary: The first fanfic I've ever written! Whee! Gaara X Lee shonen ai.


The trees swayed slightly with the gentle breeze. The lush forest was much different from the unforgiving desert he was accustomed to. He set his sand filled gourd down and rested against a tree. Within a few minutes the forest rustled again.

"Trees don't move when the breeze dies down," Gaara said. "Come out and face me."

A young ninja with black hair and a confident smile hopped into the clearing. "Sorry," Rock Lee said sincerely. "I wasn't trying to sneak up on you."

Gaara glared at him angrily. This happy-go-lucky dork was the first and only person to land a hit on him. And he wasn't afraid, which is a big deal when everyone called you a monster and ran away scared your whole life. "What are you doing out here?" he growled.

"Training!" Lee flashed an honest grin. "I'm seeing how quickly I can go from tree to tree without using my hands! What are you doing out here?"

A flicker of annoyance showed in Gaara's face. He almost killed this guy, and now he's just acting casual? Why isn't he showing any signs of fear? "Why should I tell you?"

"I answered your question, it's only polite to answer mine." His smile faded slightly. They studied each other's faces for a long time before Gaara answered.

"I needed a quiet place to think."

"About what?" Lee asked, walking toward him. He sat against the tree next to Gaara, ignoring the glare that followed his movements.

"None of your business."

"Oh, sorry." Lee said quietly. Gaara looked forward and ignored him. After a painfully long silence, Lee's grin returned. "Hey, I've got it! Let's train together!"

Gaara glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Why the hell should I train with you?"

"Well, we're so opposite. I mean, I only use physical attacks, and all your techniques use sand. It would be an interesting challenge!"

"No."

Lee reached out with his hand. "Why not? It wou-" he stopped short when his hand hit a wall of sand instead of Gaara's shoulder.

"I didn't say you could touch me," he snarled. Lee pulled his hand back as the wall crumbled.

"I may not understand you, but being cold and pushing me away won't solve anything. I just want to help."

This surprised Gaara. "…Why?"

"You're always so…well, distant. Don't you ever just relax and have fun?"

"…Are you always this stupid? Maybe I like being distant." The bitterness in his voice was extreme, even for him.

"…I'm sorry," Lee murmured, standing up. "I just…I just wanted to be your friend." He disappeared into the trees before Gaara could respond.

Friend? What was he talking about? He'd never had any friends. The only people who ever showed him respect was his brother and sister, and that was mostly out of fear. What idiot would want to befriend a monster that almost killed him?

Gaara continued to brood over it for the rest of the day. He decided to go back to the village and look for his teammates when the sun set.

"Heads up, Lee!" Tenten shouted. Lee turned to see several knives flying toward him. He caught them all and threw them toward a target painted on a nearby tree. Two of them went too high. "What's wrong, Lee? You're usually more accurate than this."

"Um, it's nothing," he said, trying to sound convincing.

"You never were good at lying."

"I had an unsettling conversation with someone a couple days ago, nothing big." He half smiled.

Tenten sighed. "Well, I guess you don't have to tell me, but if you ever need to get anything off your chest, I'm here."

His smile widened. "I understand."

She grabbed her knives and put them away. "I'm off to lunch, then I promised some friends I'd meet them. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye!" He watched her until she was out of sight. It was good to have people you could count on. If only he could get Gaara to see that…He sighed and turned around, a small yelp escaping his lips when he came face to face with the sand ninja. "How…how did you get so close without me hearing it?" Lee stammered.

Gaara ignored the question. "Why did you say what you did the other day?"

"Er, I just meant that you tend to be antisocial, so I'd be your friend if you ever needed one." He realized his choice of words could have been better when he was answered with a cold stare.

"…Why," he finally said, "Do I need you, or anyone, for a friend?"

"Do you never get lonely?" Gaara didn't answer, he only looked away, pain showing in his eyes. Lee didn't know what he was thinking, but guilt still filled him. "…I'm sorry." He slowly reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, surprising them both. "Why isn't it…I thought…"

"…I suppose you aren't a threat to me anymore…"

"Does…" Lee's face lit up. "Does this mean we're friends now?"

"I don't know…this has never happened before…" His face hardened as he looked Lee in the eye. "Why would you befriend someone who tried to kill you? You'd be nothing but bloodstains on the ground right now if it wasn't for your sensei."

"I sort of assumed you simply got carried away. It was a very intense fight." Even an untrusting person like Gaara could see that he was being completely honest.

"…Hn, fine," he grunted.

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Lee cheered, grabbing Gaara in a bear hug. After a few bone-crushing moments he set him down and placed his hands on his shoulders. "You'll see, life's better when you know there's someone you can trust!"

Gaara glared at him with wide eyes before brushing his hands away and mumbling, "Don't touch me." He crossed his arms and sulked away.

Well, it's a start, thought Lee.

"Man, I can't believe how much free time we have," said Naruto, leaning against the shady side of a building.

"I wonder how long Kakashi sensei will be on that mission," Sasuke thought out loud.

"Gai sensei too," Lee put in. "A lot of the Jonin have gone on that mission."

"Kakashi sensei said it was a pretty dangerous, so it may be awhile," Sakura reminded them.

"Yeah, and he'll be mad if we don't train," Naruto realized.

"Yes!" Lee clenched a fist. "We must train! We must get stronger!"

"Do you ever run out of energy?" Sakura asked, half sarcastically. "It's so hot today, plus I'm still tired from yesterday's training."

"But…" Lee hung his head dramatically. He couldn't argue with a girl as pretty as Sakura…

They all perked up when they heard a faint _tok, tok, tok_, behind them. They turned to see Gaara coming up the street. Lee waved and shouted, "Hi, Gaara!"

Gaara walked up to the group and studied them for a moment, then turned to Lee and mumbled, "Lee."

"Hey, didn't he try to kill you? When did he chill out?" Naruto blurted. "Ow! Hey, what was that for?" He rubbed the side of his head Sakura had hit.

"Think before you say rude things like that!" she scolded.

"Sorry, but the dope's got a point," Sasuke said. "Why are you being nice to Lee? We all thought you hated him."

Lee flashed a thumbs up. "We're pals now!" Everyone turned to look at Gaara, who simply returned their stares.

Eventually he broke the silence with, "What? He's trustworthy."

"Duh, everyone knows dog-brow's too noble to pull anything dirty," Naruto grinned.

"But why does he trust Gaara?" Sasuke asked.

"Because of this!" Lee placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder. They all stared for a moment, confused.

"…Wait, what about the whole sand thing?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"It only reacts to danger. He isn't threatening me right now," explained Gaara.

"Well, I'm glad you two could work it out," Sakura beamed. "Rivalries are so stressful."

"Yeah, and a friend of Lee's is a friend of ours!" Naruto reached for Gaara's other shoulder, only to hit a sand barrier.

"I didn't say you could touch me," he growled. He shrugged Lee's hand off and walked away. Behind him he heard Naruto mumble something, then a loud smack. Morons, every last one. He still wasn't entirely sure why he trusted Lee. There was just something about him…

Well, it doesn't matter now, they were friends, and he knew Lee meant it. He headed toward the building he and his siblings were staying at.

"Oh, hey Gaara," Temari greeted him when he walked in.

"Hn." He sat down on the bed that was prepared for him, even though he didn't need it. Temari and Kankuro looked at him, then at each other. "…What is it?"

"Well," Kankuro started, "We've been talking, and…it's just that…er…"

"Either say it or don't." Gaara glared at them.

"We noticed you've been acting different lately," Temari declared. "You've been unusually quiet and almost…calm. We just want to make sure nothing's wrong."

Gaara considered this for a long moment. "Thanks, but I'm fine."

"Why are you being like this then? Er, we only want to know because we care about our baby brother," Kankuro added when Gaara shot him and irritated look.

"Has anything odd happened recently?" Temari asked.

"Well, Rock Lee offered to be my friend."

"The one that hit you? What sort of trick is he pulling?" Kankuro grunted.

"None." Gaara gazed at them with a straight face.

"Well, what did you do?" Temari asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I agreed." They both stared at them questioningly. "The sand doesn't see him as a threat anymore. Besides, he's got an honest face."

Temari sighed. "I don't know…"

"He's fine."

"Are you sure?" Kankuro asked cautiously.

"Yes." His answer was so blunt, and his face so serious, they decided not to pursue the matter any further.

Lee plopped down on his stomach on a branch. He had been training hard all day, and he needed a rest. The shadows of the leaves danced merrily on the ground below. Then a large shadow overlapped them, and he saw it's owner walk beneath the tree.

"Hey, come down here," Temari shouted. "I need to talk to you." Lee jumped down in front of her. "What happened between you and my brother?"

"Why does everyone find this so odd? We're friends, there's nothing unusual about it."

Temari shook her head. "You don't understand anything about Gaara, do you? He's never had friends before."

This caught Lee off guard. "Really? I mean, I know he creeps everyone out, but I can't be the first…"

"Yep. The only other people in the world who care about him is Kankuro and I, and we're his siblings. Look, if Gaara trusts you, I trust you, but I still want to hear the whole story. How did you get him to agree to this?"

Lee put a hand on his chin. "Well, I told him I wanted to be his friend. When he asked why, I said that I trusted him, and that I'd gladly be there if he ever needed me. Then the sand didn't react to me anymore, so he agreed."

Temari raised an eyebrow. "You just make sure he's happy." She turned and walked away.

He trained for a few more hours, then returned to his house when the sun started to set. The stars were already out by the time he finished bathing, changing, cooking and eating dinner. He gazed out the window. The whole village was basked in moonlight. Soon he noticed a small silhouette several rooftops away. A cool breeze met his face when he opened his window and hopped onto a nearby roof. Within seconds he was a few yards away from the lonely redhead.

"Hey, Gaara, what are you doing?" Lee asked as he sat down next to him.

"Watching the moon."

Lee shifted uncomfortably. "Um, why did you agree to be my friend?"

"How much did she tell you?" he said coolly without taking his eyes off the sky.

"Er…She said you've never had friends before."

Gaara closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "But not why? Good."

"Um…It's pretty late, we should both go get some sleep…"

"I don't sleep."

"What? But everyone needs sleep."  
"Not me."

"Why?" Gaara looked at him. Lee's face showed confusion, and a trace of sadness, perhaps caused by the confusion.

"I…A demon will come out if I do. The demon inside me."

Lee concentrated for a long moment before responding. "You…you mean like Naruto? But he sleeps…"

"No, his demon was sealed within him. I was born with mine."

Lee's eyes widened in surprise, then he looked away. "I'm sorry…I didn't know…"

"I don't know why I told you…You're…different, somehow…I feel as though I could tell you anything…"

"It's called trust, Gaara," Lee half grinned.

"No," Gaara said, shaking his head. "That's not what I mean. This is different that just trusting you, it's…I don't know what it is…"

"I don't see what you are trying to say…"

"Neither do I." His gaze turned back up to the moon.

Lee looked up too. "Try explaining it. Maybe we can figure it out together."

"Well…You kind of stick out in my mind…But it's not because I'm afraid of you…" His face clearly showed he was struggling to find the right words. "You…feel different…in my mind…When I think of you, see you, hear your voice…Nobody else has ever affected me like this…"

"What do you mean? How have I affected you?" Lee looked over at him.

"I'm always thinking about you…even in the back of my mind, you're always there…When you're near, my stomach turns and my pulse quickens…It's like a disease, except I…It doesn't feel bad…I almost…enjoy it…" He sighed, turned his whole torso toward him, and whispered, "What have you done to me, Lee?"

"Er…" Lee felt his cheeks grow warm. "I don't…I mean, if we weren't both guys, I'd say that sounded like you were in love or something…But that…"

"A man cannot love a man?"

His face grew warmer. "Well…" Actually, he had never thought of it before. Could a man fall in love with another man? "Technically, I guess it's possible, but…"

"But what?" Gaara said softly.

"Uh…I…I guess it's just unusual…"

"Well, I suppose unusual is normal for me…" Gaara leaned closer and cupped Lee's cheek in his hand.

"Er, I, um…" Lee stuttered.

"Heh, you're kind of cute when you're flustered." He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Lee's.

Lee's heartbeats seemed painfully loud, and he wondered if Gaara could hear it. _Wow_, he thought. _This is…kinda nice…Wait, this is my first kiss! And it's with a guy!_ He flushed and pulled away. "No, you…I mean, I…It's just…um…" Gaara stared at him quizzically. "I have to go." Lee stood quickly and headed back to his house. He closed the window, shut the blinds, and went to bed. The turmoil of is mind kept him awake for several more hours before he fell into an uneasy sleep.

"Behold, your handsome sensei has returned victorious!" Gai shouted while pulling a dramatic pose.

"GAI SENSEI!!!" Lee ran to him and embraced his role model. Gai had always been like a father to him.

"So your mission went well?" Tenten asked.

"I'm glad you missed me so much. Yes, the mission was a total success, but that's not surprising. I hope you've been training daily in my absence?"

"Of course," Neji shrugged.

"Uh, Gai sensei, I need to talk to you," Lee said, looking down at his feet.

"Of course, anything. Leave us! I'll speak with you two later," Gai announced, looking at Tenten and Neji. When they were out of earshot he continued. "Now, what do you need, Lee?"

"Some advice."

"On what?"

"Um…" Lee looked down and blushed slightly. "Love."

"Ah, you made the right decision coming to me. I happen to be an expert on love. Is it a particular person, or do you need to know more in general?"

"Well, I found out someone is in love with me, and…"

"And you need some dating tips?"

"No, it's just that, er, this person is, um…"

"No need to tell me who it is, that's your personal business. Just remember-love comes in many forms. You'll feel it in your heart when you've found the right one for you."

Lee's eyes began to water. "I'm so lucky to have such a wise sensei!"

"I'm glad I could help. Now I must go speak with your teammates about our training. We'll meet in the practice arena first thing in the morning!"

"Yes sir!" Lee saluted Gai as he walked away.

Gai sensei's words echoed through his head as he replayed the kiss over and over again. Love comes in many forms…but two guys? He was so deep in thought he didn't notice Tenten walk up to him.

"Oh, hey Lee," She said. "Something wrong?"

"I've got a lot on my mind right now, " he admitted.

"Why don't we find somewhere to sit down, and you can tell me all about it." She dragged him to a bench in the shade before he could say anything. "Now, what's wrong?"

Lee took a deep breath. "Well, I found out someone's in love with me, and I don't know what to make of it."

"Oh, that's not so bad. Who is she?"

"Actually, its…um…" His cheeks grew warm. "It's not a she…"

"Oh…" Tenten took a moment to fully comprehend this. "Well, er, that sort of complicates things. So do you like him?"

"Wait, you don't think it's weird?"

"It's a little uncommon, but not unheard of. The way I see it, you should be able to love whomever you want, no matter how odd a mix it is. Now, did you hear that he loves you from a rumor, or did he tell you?"

"Er, he kind of, um…" Lee looked down and flushed.

"What?" Tenten pressed.

"He…um…kissed me…" he whispered.

"Aw!…I mean, uh, what did you do?" she giggled.

"I told him I had to leave."

"A little shy, are we?" Lee blushed more and looked away. "Heh, but seriously, I guess the only thing for you to do is decide whether or not you love him back."

"How?"

"Well, when you think of him, how do you feel?" Lee thought for a long moment. "Well, when you figure it out, come tell me." She left him on the bench as confused as ever.

"Temari, come here. I need to talk to you." Gaara was sitting on his bed.

"About what?" she crossed the room and stood in front of him.

"What is one supposed to do when one is in love?" His stern expression never faltered.

The question shocked her. "…Are you…?"

"I think so."

She sat down next to him. "Well, have you told her?"

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing."

"Well, what did she do?"

"He got embarrassed and ran away."

"…He?" Gaara's stare stayed as steady as ever. "…Oh…Oh! Wow, who would have guessed…Well, give him his space. If you try hitting on a guy who isn't gay, you'll just freak him out."

"Gay?"

Temari realized that he probably never heard or never paid attention to any love related terms before. "Um, it means you are attracted to the same gender as you. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just that most people are attracted to the opposite gender."

"You didn't answer my question. What am I supposed to do?"

"It depends. If he shows interest in you, then you can start a relationship and let your heart decide where you'll go next. If he doesn't, then let him be. Nobody likes that sort of attention from someone the don't love."

Gaara thought for a moment. "How can I tell if he's interested?"

"That's a tough one. Everyone has a different way of showing it. Who is he?"

"Rock Lee."

"Him? The one with the huge eyebrows and goofy haircut? …Um… that's…damn, of all guys to go gay for…Wow…"

"What?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that I never would have guessed you and Lee…Wow, that's a weird match…"

"…Shut up."

"Hey, I'm not saying you shouldn't have picked him or anything, it's just…well…he wouldn't be my first choice, anyway. But I'll support your love all the way, regardless." When he had no more questions, she got up and left.

The sun was just above the horizon, and already Lee, Tenten, and Neji were training. Gai barked commands, making sure they worked to their fullest potential. At noon he called for a lunch break. "So Lee," he said after they finished eating, "having better luck with this admirer of yours?"

"We haven't talked recently, actually. But Tenten said I must decide what my feelings are first."

Gai laughed heartily. "Ah, youthful love, so passionate and beautiful. You must let your heart guide you, Lee, if you ever want to find true happiness. Now go get your teammates. We have a whole afternoon to finish training!"

"Yes sir!"

After they finished later that day, Tenten casually strolled over to Lee and asked, "Have you figured it out, yet?"

"No," he sighed. "Thank you for your concern though."

"Hey, I'm just worried because I care about you. So, are you going to tell me who it is?"

"Er, okay, but promise not to laugh? Or tell anyone else?"

"Come on, Lee, you know me better than that. I won't tell a soul."

Lee took a deep breath. "Gaara."

Tenten gasped. "That creep from the sand village? But he almost killed you!"

"I don't know why he loves me, I just know that he does."

"You're sure?"

"Well, the kiss sort of gave it away."

Tenten thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're cute, who wouldn't love you?" He blushed slightly. "Well, I've got to go home. See ya!" She waved and walked away. Within a few minutes she turned a corner and saw Temari. "Hey, you're Gaara's sister, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, Lee told me that Gaara kissed him. Do you know anything about this?"

"Heh, he said he was in love with him, but he failed to mention a kiss. What else did he say?"

Tenten smiled. "Let's go to my place. I think we have a lot to discuss."

"Um, Tenten, where are we going again?" Lee asked. She was pulling him through the forest by his wrist.

"Don't worry about it." She stopped for a moment, looked around, then made a sharp left turn and continued on. Eventually they came upon a small clearing. Tenten let go of his wrist. "Stay here."

"Why? What are we doing?" Lee looked at his surroundings. They were awfully deep into the forest-he wasn't sure if he had ever been here before.

"Just stay here, okay? Don't leave this spot." She jumped into the trees and disappeared.

"…Oh…Okay…" He obediently stood there, wondering what she had planned. It didn't take long for him to become bored and begin training by himself, making sure he didn't leave the clearing. He ran and jumped and kicked the air, trying to make each try faster than the last.

A little ways away, Temari and Tenten found each other.

"You're sure this will work?" Temari asked.

"Don't worry, he wants this," Tenten assured her. "He just doesn't know it yet."

"You'd better be right." She crossed her arms. "Gaara's already scary enough as it is, we don't need him to be heartbroken."

"Trust me, it'll work out."

Gaara walked into the clearing where Lee was perfecting the exercise he invented. _Temari was right_, he thought. _He's all alone_.

"Who's there?" Lee turned and gasped. "Oh, Gaara! Er, what, um, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, of course." He walked forward until they were only a yard away from each other.

"Yeah, um…" Lee blushed and put a hand behind his head. "This is… awkward…"

"Really? Why do you say that?"

"Well…It's just, you know, I know you…um…love me…and I…er…"

"What? You don't love me?"

"I never said that."

"So you do?"

Lee flushed and looked away. "Er…I'm not…I mean, you…I…um…"

"Come on, Lee. Either you do or you don't. Which is it?" He walked closer.

"Well…er…I…um…"

Gaara rolled his eyes. "Fine, if you can't decide on your own, I'll help you." He held Lee's arm in one hand and his cheek in the other.

"Wha-what are you doing?"

Gaara ignored the question. He and moved his hand to the back of Lee's head and pulled him into a kiss.

Lee's face turned bright red, but he didn't pull away. He stood there, eyes wide, feeling the warmth of Gaara's lips against his, feeling his heart race until he was afraid it would burst, feeling a hurricane of different emotions rage in his mind. Then his lips were cool, and he saw Gaara staring at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. Lee tried to clear his head, only to lose it to more mixed thoughts and emotions. Then Gai sensei's words broke through.

_You'll feel it in your heart…Let your heart guide you… _Lee took this into consideration. What was his heart telling him?

"…I…I guess I do…" he whispered.

Gaara simply smiled, knowing he won, and kissed him again.


End file.
